The asymmetric digital subscriber loop (ADSL) services that are being deployed throughout the world provide a “user to network interface.” (UNI) Conventionally, an ADSL modem is connected to a digital service line access multiplexer (DSLAM) via the UNI. The ADSL service is invoked by provisioning at least one virtual circuit. The virtual circuit needs to be provisioned from end-to-end (source to destination) and involves multiple network elements. The provisioning procedure is tedious and time consuming. Some modems and DSLAMs are configured to default to a single virtual circuit for each end user. In order for the ADSL service to be functional, both the ADSL modem and an associated DSLAM need to have a compatible ATM layer configuration. Existing networks that utilize virtual circuit connections and can be categorized as connection oriented, include but are not limited to “asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), frame relay (FR) and multi-protocol label switching (MPLS).
The common network element deployment strategies typically consist of manually provisioning a permanent virtual circuit (PVC), default initializing a PVC, or implementing a signaling connection setup sequence for switched virtual circuits (SVC). The signaling connection setup sequence requires pre-provisioned signaling client/server entities in some of the elements. A combination of the above strategies may also be applied to the access network. The above described deployment strategies are labor intensive and can cause interoperability limitations between different vendor's equipment.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for improvements in end-to-end provisioning of communication systems.